


Don't Screw With Me!

by Pierrot_Tri



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27338275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pierrot_Tri/pseuds/Pierrot_Tri
Summary: Ace has a different start in life when he was basically raised by a mushishi, instead of bandits. Currently, the leader of the Marineford Mushishis, in charge of the twenty mushishis under him, his life is about to change drastically due to his deployment.A story inspired by the manga, and anime, of Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Background on Ace's Past

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Mushishi.

When Ace was five, he broke his leg while hunting. Usually, he would have had stolen the first aid kit and patched himself up, but with less food than usual in the winter months, he collapsed due to hunger and pain. Nui, a technically retired mushishi who is now working on mushi research, found him and forced him to stay with her until the bones healed. After two months of care and affection, Ace got really attached to Nui. Similarly, Nui is happy to, once again, reconnect to a fellow human. Ace stays 6 days of the weeks with Nui, only staying in the bandit camp for 1 day as Dadan requested, to make sure that he’s alive. Nui started to teach Ace about mushis and Ace, as thanks, went to town in her stead. 

Ace found Sabo while going to town to look for Nui’s research material and they formed a friendship running away from a shop owner that they pickpocketed. Sabo was, therefore, adopted to the tiny family of Ace and Nui, and separately the Dadan bandits. When Luffy came to Dadan’s charge, both Ace and Nui disliked him, something about him breaking the jars of research materials does that to you. However, both came to slowly like him, as the usually clumsy baby brother. While Luffy dreamt of being pirate king, Ace and Sabo have more non-violent dreams. Sabo wanted to write a book about his travels. Meanwhile, Ace wanted to become the best mushishi that history would have ever known. Especially known for his method of non-violence, taught to him by Nui. 

However, Nui’s research went wrong. The mushi she was studying, the Tokoyami, turned her into a Tokoyami, also. Ace, knowing something went wrong, dived into the pond filled with Tokoyamis and Ginkos. In the end, Ace sacrificed his memories and one of his eyes to survive this ordeal. However, what feels like only a few hours for Ace were a few months outside of the pond. Therefore, no one was around. Miraculously, a clan of mushishis was there to talk to Nui when Ace emerged from the pond. Realizing that he was Nui’s apprentice, they took him in and continued his studies of mushis. At the age of 15, he started his life as a lone wandering mushishi. At the age of 17, he joined the mushishis of the Marines, meaning he and his fellow mushishis stayed in Marineford and help any mushi problems the marines had.


	2. Background on Mushis and Mushishis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a background on Mushis and Mushishis, anyone who watched or read Mushishi can skip this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Mushishi or One Piece

Mushi, also known as Midorimono, is described as "life in its purest form". They are everywhere, however, most depend on living creatures in order to live [therefore, they are sometimes considered as parasites]. The effects Mushi has on humans range from helpful to harmful to downright malicious, but not all Mushi are evil, even though their effects are dangerous; they, like most parasites, are simply trying to live.

Some people have dedicated themselves to the study and understanding of Mushi, and the most accomplished of these people are called Mushishi, or Mushi Masters.

Ginkgo, the main character of Mushishi comic and anime, gives a further explanation of mushis by saying: 

"that if all four fingers were animal life, and your thumb was plant life then humans would be at the tip of your middle finger. This would be the furthest away from the heart. As you travelled down your fingers to the wrist, he said that the arteries and veins start to "connect" and this would be fungi/bacteria. He then moved all the way to his heart and said that this was what Mushi were.”

Mushis can only be seen by certain people, born with the ability. However, Kouki can help normal citizens to see Mushis, although, only for a certain period of time. Some Mushishis use Kouki for them to see Mushis, also, but the majority are born with the ability. Furthermore, several Mushi infection might also cause ordinary citizens to start seeing Mushis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short summary. More mushis will be explained as the story goes. This is sourced from the Mushishi wiki.


	3. Changes in Ace's Character

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Mushishi. I also do not own any pictures/drawings/photos on the page.

In Physical Appearance:

The eyes and hair of Ace would have changed due to his exposure to the Tokoyami mushi.

However, the overall style of his hair and face would still be the same. He will also be paler than he was in the manga/anime, another characteristic due to the Tokoyami mushi. He has an orange cowboy hat tattooed where his ASCE tattoo should be.

Because of the Tokoyami mushi, again, he is missing an eye. He does not have a glass eye for his missing right eye, therefore if his eyepatch was to be removed, you will see a deep dark abyss.

* * *

Clothes:

Because most mushishi travel with only one bag [since they mostly walk], they have clothes that fit a traveller approach.

But, since he has been staying at Marineford, he has more distinctive clothes, to differentiate him from any invading forces.

The sash spell the word mushishi in case trainee marines did not know that he was not a fellow marine, but is still supposed to be there, and attack him. 

Furthermore, he has a wooden bag while travelling, usually like this, and what’s usually inside:

Also, instead of his normal dagger, he has two guns and a sword because he doesn't have a devil fruit. The guns are shown in the travel clothes picture and the sword is shown below.

Lastly, his eyepatch is a generic black eyepatch and he would still have his normal black boots.

Travel companions:   
Being a mushishi means travelling alone, unless you are part of a clan or group that stays in one place, most of the time. Therefore, as both guards and companions, having a pet is something that, I feel, should be recommended to mushishis. So Ace’s travel companions are:

Top - who has a blue collar; drags Ace to a safe place if he has a narcolepsy attack; hunts his own food; has some mushi awareness and helps Ace in catching them; is trained in comforting kids.

&

Mugi - has a red leash; bite people who you shouldn’t trust; likes to hang out on Ace’s shoulder and surprises people; leads Ace to the next destination; and accurately scouts places for Ace. 

* * *

Overall Personality Changes: 

Ace is overall calmer in dealing with both people and mushis. In fact, he would be like the polite Ace that the Strawhats know. However, he does get mad at a certain point. For example, Ace can’t start or continue a conversation with mushishis that thinks killing mushis is justified. If those mushishis keep on talking for more than 3 minutes about their conquest, he would explode and start critiquing them, harshly. He also dislikes nobles and celestial dragons, for reasons he does not know, and has been seen being petty towards them if he has to go near them. He is reckless and still has self-sacrificing tendencies, however being a mushishi, there are not a lot of death-inducing actions he can, or should, face.


	4. Chapter 1 - Its not the Uro's fault?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprising news and destroyed offices.

Why is it that the marines only attract weird people? Currently, he has a hole in his wall, courtesy of Garp, and an Akainu shaped hole in his door because both can’t be bothered to open the door normally. Not only that but to report the pirates he captured, Smoker came to his office and started smoking. That caused an ‘accidental’ fire that burnt some of his paperwork. But giving him a break is against the will of whoever is in charge of his fate, so on top of all the paperwork he has to redo and another pile of paperwork, to request that someone fix his wall and door, the Whitebeards lost their only mushishi. Now they’re covered in snow, bumping to whatever ship is near them because they can’t see past the snow. Those bastards cost them to lose four battleships because the Moby Dick accidentally bumped into them. How is it even possible to hit that many? Maybe if he’s really desperate, he can be fired for not doing his paperwork and creating another hole to join the two he already has. Before he can actually hit the wall in frustration, a knock came from his, remaining, office door.

“Sengoku-san, how can your marines ruin the wall that was just fixed two days ago?” 

“I was also wondering about that, Ace-san. Do you need anything?”

The leader of their current resident mushishis is the one who came to his office. With them his pet, the dog holding back the fox from biting his paperwork. How can a dog be better trained than high-level Marines? 

“I’m somewhat thankful that no marine has tried entering the Mushishi quarters, then. I’m here cause I finished the budgeting paperwork you needed from us. Also, in the box is the deep calm tea, you requested. I’ll be starting a new batch of it immediately so any suggestions should be given before the day ends.”

“Wasn’t the new batch only started to be sent out two days ago?”

“Tsuru-san, Aokiji-san, John-san, and other marines have been asking for more than usual, Sengoku-san. This is the last box I have.”

The Whitebeards are now disrupting his constant flow of tea. Is that even possible?

“Please, double the amount you usually make. Furthermore, add some migraine tea in.”

The mushishi looks contemplatingly to the hole in his office wall. 

“Your subordinates did break the walls faster than their average time period. Usually, it takes a week or two before they start breaking your new walls. Did something bad happen?”

“The Whitebeards lost their mushishi and somehow they ruined four battleships. But ruining my office walls once per week is already too extreme. Do you have anything to stop that?”

The fox starts laughing at him. Sengoku doesn’t understand how but he knows the fox is laughing at him. 

“I haven’t heard any news about that. I’ll inform the Corps immediately. Maybe I can give you an extra dose of anti-migraine tea? Maybe a tranquillizer tea? An indestructible mushi? I’ll start thinking about it. If that is all, have a good afternoon then, Sengoku-san.”

“I’ll take your tranquillizer idea. Maybe tranquillizer for Giants will work with them. I don’t know about the good part but sure, Ace-san. Have a good day to you too.”

With that, he starts the tea brewing process and prays to whatever God there is to help him finish his pile of paperwork. Right in time, to spite him probably, he receives the news that the Whitebeards have destroyed their fifth battleship. Maybe he should be applying the giant tranquillizer to himself. 

Reaching back to his quarters, Ace found it strange that he wasn’t informed of the Whitebeards’ loss of their mushishi. Usually, he would have received the news by now, if not to prevent him from deploying mushishis on ships near the Whitebeards. Maybe his Uro has been too old? Well, no harm in trying to talk to HQ with den den mushis, he supposes. A nearby Marine gave him a baby den-den mushi, well Top stole the den-den mushi but the person allowed him to, so same difference, he supposes.

“Hello, this is the Mushishi Corps. Please state your island, then village or town and the symptoms of mushis that you are facing.”

The one who answers is Yuri-san. Thank all of the Mushis. He’s efficient enough, and nice enough, to not bother him for his troubles. 

“Ah, Yuri-san, it’s me, Ace. My Uro has not been working it seems. Can I get a new one and news from around one week?”

“We will send a new one immediately. I suppose you don’t have to be instructed on the proper disposal of the Uro, Ace-kun?”

Ace has been on the job for five years, in total. He really doesn’t want to get a long-winded explanation for something he already knows. Top lets out an offended bark. 

“Yes, there is no need, and the news?”

“The Akagamis did something stupid again and they currently have a dozen mushishis trying to solve their problem. Fishman Island is facing a Kagebi infestation. Their mushishis is now under strict observation and leave that will include a re-study of the mushis. The Fanged Toads, I believe, are exhibiting signs of Yonowaru, but further investigations are needed. Those are the news in the past week.” 

“Interesting.”

“Interesting, Ace-kun?”

“It seems that my Uro is not old. I have received those news from my Uro, yes, but it seems that the Corps does not know about the Whitebeards.”

“No, we didn’t receive any news from the Whitebeards. Explain, Ace-kun.”

A suspicious yip is heard from Mugi. He looks uncomfortable with the news. 

“Sengoku-san told me that the Whitebeards have lost their mushishi. They’re currently facing a lot of snow, so much so they can’t see if there is a marine battleship in front of them. It might be a snow mushi but which one I’m not sure yet. He didn’t give me any other information.”

“Hmmm, I’ll contact the Whitebeards and Jinu-san but I will deploy more mushishis whatever their answer. Lily-chan is still an apprentice after all.”

“Sengoku-san would like that. The marines are on high alert apparently.”

“Hihihihi, that’s what he gets for accepting the fleet admiral position. Bye, Ace-kun someone else needs my help!”

“Good luck, Yuri-san.”

All of his tasks done for the day, he’s thinking about a little nap before starting on his . . . 

“Ace-san, bad news Sengoku-san is destroying his office!”

Mugi starts laughing. The poor Marine looks so done with his life that Ace can only sympathize. But wait, something feels wrong, almost like he’s forgetting something important. 

A few minutes later, Ace realize. He just submitted his paperwork. Paperwork that took five hours. Oh hell no! If anything destroyed his paperwork, Sengoku-san will feel his wrath!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uro - a mushi that is able to open portals to another enclosed space. These will send any letter, or anything, from one cocoon [the favoured container of Mushishis' Uros] to another. However, as they get old, the Uro will start moving to another endpoint. This might cause problems because they may decide on an enclosed room as their next destination. Anyone who opens this enclosed room will be sucked into the Uro. With these dangers, only a mushishi can deal with them.  
> Kagebi - a flame-like mushi that feeds on an organism's body heat. It's found in narrow spaces on hot days and even enclosed storage units, such as jars. The fire of the Kagebi, however, can burn their larvae counterpart. The mature Kagebis can be destroyed by crushing it.  
> Yonowaru - a mushi that resides in Morning Glories and will infect an organism if the flowers are smelled. The mushi changes human life's biological clock to follow that of a Morning Glory. So, the infected will be reborn in the morning, after their "deaths" in the past night.


	5. Chapter 2 - Damn, Whitebeards!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A, relatively, new species of snow mushi is discovered in the Moby Dick. Ace is done.

Stupid Marine Admirals and their stupid reliance on devil fruit powers. If Akainu didn’t have his Magu-Magu-no-Mi, Ace wouldn’t have to fish him out of the sea and Akainu will still be ready to fight the Whitebeards. Most importantly, they wouldn’t be on the Moby Dick as hostages! 

But his problems are also because of the Whitebeards! Don’t they know that pressure makes people do mistakes, really threatening Akainu with death is just making him think slower. Mugi’s whining and Top’s growling are the only things that are calming him down. Looking down at his magnifying glass, for the dozenth time, on the same sample piece leads to nothing. There’s no snow mushi that he can identify! Now, this might be because it’s a new species of mushi but also it can mean that the idiots kidnapped them for nothing. 

When the door creeks open, he’s ready to yell at whoever is being sent to check on him. Worse, it’s a chef and he’s holding something steaming. That heat might destroy his tenth sample! 

“Get out! No unnecessary heat making items, or humans, anywhere near the snow samples!”

Okay, Ace might have been harsher than he wanted to but this is his tenth sample. The first five, Ace didn’t know while conducting primary searches, were ruined by the crew members exposing the sample to heat. He spent four hours researching those. The sixth was definitely from the same spot, so not a random sampling. He spent half an hour researching those before he realizes that was useless. The seventh and eighth show no sign of irregular mushi activities. So, that’s another two hours of Ace’s time wasted. The ninth was spilled by a crew member wanting to “help”. And this one, he’s been searching for an hour and thirty minutes. So, around nine hours of his life is wasted on not finding a mushi! 

“You need a break. You’ve been working for ten hours and we need you to survive to solve our problem.” 

When food is mentioned, Ace’s stomach growled a little. Damn, the food does smell good. But, he can’t dirty his work station. Or the captain’s cabin that he has set up his lab at. 

“Mugi, Top, let’s go. Chef-san, please lead us to the galley. I’ll give your crew a brief warning. If anyone was to touch and destroy my tools, they will have the rest of their short lives to regret it.” 

“Don’t worry that’s Oyaji cabin, no one messes with it. And we know to not mess with mushishis.”

Ace really doesn’t believe that. If they were to not mess with mushishis, why is he in their ship? Being held kidnapped? This crew is so strange that even staying with one of the Admirals’ ship is more normal.

* * *

Reaching the galley, Ace didn’t expect the place to be full. He knew that they are at eleven p.m. standard time. Are they just let off from a shift? But if so, why is the Captain with them? 

“Eat up, yoi.”

First Mate Marco the Phoenix is dragging him to the front of the dinner line. They’re serving cream stew and potatoes; or for the vegetarian option, vegetable miso soup and rice; lastly, a salmon dish with a seaweed salad. About to get the salmon dish, so Top and Mugi can eat with him, he was stopped by Marco the Phoenix. 

“Thatch, made some food for your pets, yoi. Get something you want to eat.”

“Thank you, Whitebeard-san.”

“Don’t call me Whitebeard, that’s Oyaji, yoi, just Marco.”

“Thank you, Marco-san.”

Taking the cream stew option, Marco-san dragged him to, what Ace assumes, is the Commander’s table. The captain, Whitebeard, and Commanders of the fifth, tenth, fourteenth, and sixteenth division are chatting with each other. From the seating, he can definitely see the height difference between him and the captain. Escape would probably be hard with that.

“Mushishi-san, have you found the cause of the snow yet?”

The sixteenth commander is the first to strike a conversation. 

“No, I have not, Commander-san. I will have to contact Mushishi Corps for their assistance in the search.”

Most of the Commander around the table frowned. The Captain took another sip of his, oversized, sake bottle.

“Oh, do you need a den-den mushi to contact them?”

“No, my Uro is still functional. Can I ask you where Jinu-san and Lily-san are? They have not sent an Uro message to HQ.”

A quiet envelopes not only the Commander’s table but also tables near them. Mugi starts wrapping himself around Ace’s leg, which caused, Top to also start a defensive position. The captain is the one who answered him.

“Three weeks ago, Jinu starts having cold symptoms. Nothing was bad but three days later, daughter, I mean, Lily found Jinu’s body. An hour later, daughter starts exhibiting similar symptoms. She died a day later.”

Mushishis getting sick is not unheard of, however, mushishis, being part doctors, are always able to treat themself. Therefore, this might be part of the snow mushi that both were probably researching. Finally, a lead! 

“I want access to their rooms, their lab, and, if possible, their bodies.”

A look of disbelief, some annoyance, and some anger can be seen on the crew members’ faces. 

“We can grant access to their rooms and lab but not their bodies. Experimenting on the dead is disrespectful.”

Well damn, Whitebeard is jumping to a lot of conclusions. Almost, like, how his crew jumped to the conclusion that this is a work of a mushi. 

“They might have traces of the mushi on their bodies. Furthermore, did you isolate the bodies? Anyone with symptoms similar to Jinu-san and Lily-chan should meet with me immediately.” 

“We rather deal with a bit more snow if it means that you don’t desecrate our siblings’ bodies!”

That’s Commander of the Fourth Division also jumping to conclusions. It seems most pirate crew member does not know what a sample taking is. Ace sighs and wonders is it something he did in his past life?

“I’ll be swabbing a tiny piece of yarn ball on the forehead of the two. I’ll be taking one hair each from the two. Furthermore, a cotton napkin swab from the inside of their mouth. I’ll be finished in less than two minutes and no other information is needed other than the symptoms they both face. So, if that is a desecration, wouldn’t you moving their bodies and cleaning them, somewhere, be worse?”

Some who were close enough to Ace will hear him muttering.

“Beeogola! Evan akainooh keekah beet an once orank seah watah nop parpase!”

* * *

After sending all the information Ace has to HQ, all Ace can do is wait. He relocates his lab to Jinu-san’s former lab. Some of the Commanders helped, probably sorry that they accused him of things they have no knowledge of. He has Mugi checking on Akainu’s well being since no one has told him anything about that. But with the lack of rest he had, a total of seventeen hours awake, and the stress from his research, Ace fell asleep waiting for Mugi to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Beeogola! Evan akainooh keekah beet an once orank seah watah nop parpase!" = "Idiots! Even Akainu knows this and he once drinks seawater on purpose!"  
> Huttesse is the language I'll use as the Mushishis' second language. Since it's, apparently, easy to translate to basic.


End file.
